Tuesday, August 05, 2008 Ex-Sparu leader survives NPA ambush
A FORMER squad leader of the Special Partisan Unit (Sparu) of the New Peoples' Army's (NPA's) Leonardo Panaligan Command of the Kilusang Rehiyon Negros survived in an ambush Sunday morning.
Lieutenant Colonel Franco Gacal, commanding officer of the 11th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, told Sun.Star that victim Julbert "Jojo" Candido was ambushed by a seven-man Sparu team in Barangay Buenavista, Guihulngan City.
Candido, who became a squad leader of the NPA's Sparu unit, joined the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu).
He was heading back home onboard a motorcycle when the armed men believed to be members of the NPA shoot him several times.
Gacal said Candido even managed to jump off the motorcycle and ran for his life, while the armed men pursued him.
"He managed to lose them and went immediately to police station to report the incident," the Army official said.
The rebel group, armed with .45 caliber pistols onboard three motorcycles, was positively identified by Candido, said Gacal.
Candido named the assailants as his former Sparu comrades Felix Susas alias Junjun, Randy Saguran alias Dodong, a certain Potoy Itaw, and Gerly Lanotan.
The suspects will be charged with attempted murder and an arrest warrant is being prepared for their capture.
Candido testified that Susas is the son of Barangay Linantuyan councilor Josephine Susas.
Saguran, on the other hand, is the son of a militant activist leader Josephine Saguran, who represents Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and human right advocate Karapatan in Guihulngan City, Gacal said.
Gacal also said that the father of Dodong Saguran is Oswaldo "Waldo" Saguran, believed to be an active NPA member and the prime suspect for the murder of Army Staff Sergeant Diosdado Sudayan in 2005.
Lanotan is the nephew of Regine Lanotan alias Raffy, the leader of Platoon 2 of the NPA's Leonardo Panaligan Command in Central Negros.
Military records also show that Susas, Saguran, and Lanotan are still very active members of the NPA and are part of the Leonardo Panaligan Command's Special Partisan Unit, which is tasked to kill the suspected counter-revolutionaries to the communist movement, Gacal said.
He said Candido is thankful that he came out of the ordeal alive, adding that this is one of reasons why he left the communist movement.
"He said that there is no due process, just plain barbarism inside the communist movement," said Gacal.
He added: "He appeals to his former comrades that it's never too late to repent and surrender themselves to the police so that true justice may be served."
Candido is presently assigned at Hinakpan Cafgu Detachment in Guihulngan City.
